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Rhode Island Town 25: Coventry - 7/31/2020

7/31/2020

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Hi everyone, this is Tarynn!  Welcome to our 25th TOWN! Let’s see where we have been. We have been to East Providence,  Bristol, Burrillville, Newport, Foster, Glocester, Jamestown, Lincoln,  Narragansett, North Kingstown, North Providence,  Central Falls, Pawtucket, East Greenwich, Richmond, Scituate, South Kingstown, Warren, Warwick, West Warwick, Charlestown, Cranston, Cumberland, and last but not least Wooooooonsocket!!
Today we are going to explore Coventry!

First, we went to Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge. This is a great place to hike and look for animals, and it is owned by the Audubon Society of RI. When we got there we saw many grasshoppers flying and landing around the parking lot. We then got out of the car and started our hike. There were many blackberries and blueberries along the trail. We picked the ones that were ripe and they were sweet. We walked all the way to the pond and back. The pond view was gorgeous. On the way back there were even more blueberries and we saw a young male deer with little stubs for antlers, but it wasn't so young that it still had spots. It did not have any spots. We watched it for a little while and then it turned and galloped into the trees.
At Maxwell Mays in Coventry
Blueberries were plentiful along the trails
Along the trails
Old fireplace near the pond
Pond view
Young deer
Next we went to Read School House. It was a one room school house built in 1871.  It was used as a school until the 1950’s.  We took some pictures and then headed on our way. ​
Picture
Read School House, Coventry
After that we went to Spell Hall, the Major General Nathanael Greene Homestead. It was built in 1770. The house was really big and it had a lot of land around it. We walked around the outside of the house and there was a well. People had boarded it up though so no one could fall in. ​
Spell Hall
Nathanael Greene Homestead
The well was boarded up to keep people safe
After looking around, we got back in the car, drove to part of the bike path and saw the Anthony Mills, which is now apartments but was originally a textile mill.  This mill is built along Flat River, and there is a waterfall near it. ​
Anthony Mill - view from the bike path
History of Anthony Village
We were getting hot, so we found a swimming area at a pond and went in the water.  There were some fish and ducks there, and on the other side of the pond, there were even turtles!!!  We stayed there for awhile and talked to the other people who were swimming there as well. ​
Swimming area in Coventry
Handstands!
Freshwater clams
The last thing we did in Coventry was get ice cream.  We went to a great place called Udder Delights.  I got a sundae with hot fudge and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  It also had whipped cream, walnuts, and a cherry on top. It was sooooooo good!!!!!  We left a painted rock at Udder Delights. I had fun in Coventry, especially swimming and eating ice cream. ​
My sundae was soooo gooood!!!!
We left this painted rock because we love ice cream!
Udder Delights
Other places we've enjoyed in Coventry: 
  • Coventry Greenway/Washington Secondary Bike Path - This 19 mile paved bike path goes from Providence to Coventry.  It is great for walking as well as bike riding.  The Coventry portion is mostly shaded and goes by some scenic ponds. 
  • Trestle Trail - The Trestle Trail is the unpaved rail trail continuation of the Coventry Greenway.  It continues through Western Coventry into Connecticut.  It is wide and flat and is great for hiking.  There are plans to pave this trail to extend the bike path.
  • Nicholas Farm Management Area - This hiking area was clearcut and is still in the process of regrowing.  There are some nice trails here, and the North South Trail passes through Nicholas Farm.  Lots of geocaches are hidden here as well.  
  • Kelly School of Irish Dance - Our girls took Irish step dance lessons here for several years and enjoyed their time as KSID dancers.  If you can see a KSID performance, do it!​
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Rhode Island Town 24: Jamestown - 7/28/2020

7/28/2020

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Brian here. We started our day in Jamestown with a windmill.  This particular windmill is especially picturesque, and was built in 1787. 
Picture
Driving along Jamestown’s North Road, we saw an osprey nest, complete with two standing ospreys at the Marsh Meadows Wildlife Preserve.  Such magnificent birds! 
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In celebration of the Jamestown Arts Center's 10th anniversary, Jamestown is hosting an outside art exhibit this summer.  Some of the displays are really fun and whimsical, like multi-colored knitted animals outside of the library, while others were more abstract. After wandering around the library area, we went to Godena Farm to walk through the fields and see more outdoor art.  It was quite hot, but the walk was still pleasant, and there were so many bluebird houses scattered throughout the farm.  
Knitted animals outside of the library
Godena Farms
Outdoor art at Godena Farm
Birdhouses at Godena Farm
After being outdoors in the heat, we longed to cool off.  Heidi found a nice small swimming beach in Jamestown, off of Seaside Drive and accessed from one of the public right-of-ways (http://www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html).  It had a beautiful view of the Jamestown Bridge and provided a shady spot to rest.  Even Aemilia enjoyed the beach and went in the water. ​​
Picture
Our view of the Jamestown Bridge from the swimming area
Resting in the shade
The water was perfect!
Rare footage of Aemilia on a beach!!!!
Feeling the need for even more cooling off, we drove to the Newport Bridge side of the island and got ice cream (no surprise there) at Spinnakers.  Heidi quickly learned that she should not have gotten her ice cream in a cone since it was 90+ degrees, and her ice cream was soon a melty mess. 
Picture
Great day for ic ecream!
Then we continued on our way to Fort Wetherill.  Built in 1899, this  fort served as part of the defense of Narragansett Bay, and the site also the previous home of a revolutionary fort called Fort Dumpling.  More recently, Fort Wetherill is famous for its graffiti.  The tunnels inside and out are completely covered in graffiti, some of it quite intricate. Heidi and Taryn wandered around the fort, scaling ladders for closer views of the graffiti while Aemilia, Aoife, and I took in the beautiful view.
After leaving Wetherill, we picked up pizza at Ace’s Pizza and drove to our last Jamestown stop: Beavertail State Park.  Beavertail is a lovely place to sit, enjoy the rocky cliffs overlooking the water,have dinner, and view the lighthouse.  Sometimes when we’ve been to Beavertail it has been quite windy and occasionally foggy.  Today, however, Beavertail was clear and sunny, with a slight breeze. The perfect place for pizza by the ocean, watching a sunset, and enjoying our time together.
Beavertail views
Beach Roses
Beavertail Rocks
Don't fall in!
Pizza picnic
Beavertail Light
The painted rock we left by the lighthouse
Beavertail View
Having a great time!
Picture
Beavertail light
Other places we've enjoyed in Jamestown: 
  • Mackerel Cove Beach - Town beach with calm waters. Great for children and families.
  • Conanicut Battle National History Park - Built in 1776, you can still see the earthen barriers designed to protect the troops.
  • ​Jamestown Summer Concert Series - At East Ferry Memorial Square, this is a perfect spot for outdoor summer concerts
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Rhode Island Town 23: East Providence - 7/27/2020

7/27/2020

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East Providence. It’s like Providence, but EAST. 
This sentence reflects the extent of my knowledge of East Providence before we went there.

​Hello Everyone , my name is Aemilia, and I was recently enlightened on the topic of East Providence! I feel as though I have become a more knowledgeable and well rounded person as a result of this enlightenment and I feel that it is my duty to share this knowledge with you so you too may experience this epiphany.


We started our journey at the Italian Corner, a sandwich shop that you’ll be happy to know is BOTH Italian and on a corner. Fun fact - Before it became a Italian sandwich shop, this location was a jewelry store and my dad bought my mom’s engagement ring here. ​
Italian Corner, East Providence
Italian Corner, East Providence
Deliciousness to take home
Fresh Pasta
After picking up some sandwiches (I think they were called combination sandwiches??????) we drove over to the Taunton Ave. Bakery. Oh. My. Goodness. The bakery was AMAZING. There was every single type of Portuguese pastry you could imagine! We bought coconut macaroons and Portuguese custard tarts (my favorite:)), as well as a sweet bread, a bag of popovers, and a bag of rolls. So good. I love bakeries. ​
Taunton Avenue Bakery, East Providence
So much deliciousness in one room!
Portuguese Custard Tarts & Coconut Macaroons
As we were driving to our next destination, we noticed that there was a Del's Lemonade nearby! This Del’s was actually special because it was its own building, which is kind of uncommon nowadays. It was even MORE special because it had all the Del’s flavors, which was exceptionally rare. Most Del’s have Lemon, Watermelon, and maybe Cherry or Blueberry, but that’s usually it. This one had all of those, PLUS Pink Grapefruit, Blood Orange, and my absolute favorite, Peach Mango. So delicious. I love Peach Mango Del’s. (Aoife got a piece of lemon in her watermelon Del’s hahahaha) ​
Del's - East Providence
Lemon, Watermelon, Peach Mango, & Grapefruit
Happy!!!!
We went to Hunt’s Mills to eat the food, but before we could sit down to devour all of the delicacies we had anxiously been anticipating, we had to take pictures :(. My mom made us take pictures in every possible location, especially the ones with the sun in my eyes, and THEN proceeded to go for a WALK and not let us eat until she and my dad got back. Very rude. It was even more rude because the mill was supposed to be closing, and my sisters and I were in great danger of being kicked out, and possibly BANISHED from East Providence altogether. ​
Hunt's Mills - East Providence
Hunt's Mills, East Providence
Hunt's Mill's East Providence
Fairy Garden at Hunt's Mills
Waterfall & fish ladder
Waterfall
Finally they came back and we got to eat, and everything was delicious as I had expected. THe sandwiches were on the perfect bread, and the Italian Corner makes its own dressing called salsa verde, which is amazing and is like a pesto.  This truly is a top sandwich of all sandwiches. ​
The Combination Sandwich from The Italian Corner, East Providence
Tarynn loves the Taunton Avenue Bakery Rolls
Hunt's Mills Picnic Area
We continued to explore East Providence by heading to Rumford Chemical Works, the site of famous baking powder production, and then the District 6 schoolhouse, where we had to take more pictures, and a stop at the former East Bay CYO Center on Metropolitan Park Drive so my mom could inundate us with stories and memories of her teenage years. ​
Rumford Center - Original Home of Rumford Baking Powder
Rumford Baking Powder Site
Count Rumford
Painted Rock we left to help Count Rumford Smile
Rumford Chemical Works
District 6 School House, East Providence
Little Free Library at the District 6 Schoolhouse
The Former East Bay CYO Center
We enjoyed a pleasant drive through the Riverside section of East Providence, which included a quick stop to see the Crescent Park Carousel, which was closed but still very nice. I would like to take a moment to apologize to the Crescent Park Carousel for accidentally attributing bad childhood memories to the location, while these memories should have been associated with the Slater Park Carousel, which goes ridiculously fast and can be quite sickening for young children to have to deal with, if you know what I mean. So, dear Crescent Park Carousel, I am sorry for thinking that you caused a bad memory in my childhood. I’m sure that you are lovely and run at a reasonable speed. ​
Picture
Crescent Park Carousel
In East Providence, there is a lighthouse called the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, and my parents insisted that we must view it. Unfortunately this particular lighthouse is quite elusive and the Google Maps directions for how to see it were TERRIBLE, so we ended up going down a tiny little street and being stared at by the locals who probably see other people on the street about twice a year, and proceed to laugh at them when they try to figure out both how they got there, and how they can get out. For those of you who thought we were going to give up on trying to see the lighthouse, you have clearly not met our family. Oh no, we were not going to give up on seeing the lighthouse. We ended up walking on the bike path near White Squadron Road and were able to get a good view of the lighthouse that way. ​
Ponham Rocks Lighthouse
Ponham Rocks Lighthouse
To end the day, we went to Sabin Point Park to watch the sun set. It was very beautiful, and some people took time lapse videos of it, which is kind of cool too. ​
Memorial garden at Sabin Point Park
Sabin Point Park sunset
Overall, I would highly recommend East Providence. I thought the food was really good, especially the sandwiches and the Portuguese custard tarts. I hadn’t realized how many things are actually in East Providence (Like the Crescent Park Carousel, I have no idea where I thought it was before, but now I know!). If you are visiting East Providence, I would highly recommend the Italian Corner, Del’s and the Taunton Ave Bakery. Additionally, I would recommend Hunt’s Mill as a good picnic area, although I would suggest NOT leaving your children alone and going off on a hike as the mill might be closing. 
Bye!!!! 
Aemilia

Other Places we've enjoyed in East Providence: 
  • East Bay Bike Path - This 14 mile bike path connects Providence to Bristol, and goes right through East Providence. 
  • Good Night Lights at the overlook on Veterans Memorial Parkway - Good Night Lights happens every night as restaurants, businesses, and individual people flash lights across the water to say good night to the patients at Hasbro Children's Hospital.  The Wednesday Good Night Lights are extra special because the East Providence Police Department participates by blinking their headlights and running the lights on their cruisers.  We've had the experience of participating in this a few times. 
  • Annual Feast at St. Francis Xavier Church - This takes place annually in June and the Portuguese food can't be beat!  
  • Rosa Larisa Memorial Park - This lovely waterfront park includes benches, picnic areas. It is right across the street from the Crescent Park Carousel and Blount Clam Shack (closed in 2020).  We have visited the clam shack and then used the benches at the park to eat dinner by the water.  
​
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Rhode Island Town 22: Burrillville (and a general store in Glocester) - 7/25/2020

7/25/2020

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“There’s so much more to Burrillville than chicken”.  This is a quote from Brian during our tour of Burrillville.  When speaking about our RI towns visits with friends a few weeks ago, someone offhandedly remarked that all there is in Burrillville is chicken (referring to the locally famous Wright’s Farm Restaurant that serves family style chicken).  Well, today we found out that there truly is a lot more to Burrillville than most Rhode Islanders know.

We started our visit to Burrillville at the farmer’s market located at the Stillwater Mill Complex.  This farmer’s market is under cover would be pleasant to visit even on a rainy day. It features several local growers set against the backdrop of the Stillwater Mill.  We enjoyed walking around the market and the proceeded to East Thompson Road in Thompson, CT to begin our hike to the Tri State Marker. 
Picture
Burrillville Farmers Market
The Tri State marker is found at the place where Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts all meet.  There are a few different trails that lead to the marker, but the one we chose for today was a 1.7 mile round trip walk starting in CT.  The parking is where the Airline Trail meets the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT), and there is room for 8-10 cars.  The first half mile of the trail is wide and flat, and is a former railroad trail.  One really interesting part of this trail was that there were old cow bridges along the trail so the cows could cross without the danger of trains. The trail to the tri-state marker is off of this main trail, and is rocky with a bit of an incline.  Both trails were bordered with blueberry and blackberry bushes, and we enjoyed the berries as we went along.  It was also nice that the trails were shaded as otherwise the 85+ degree temperatures would have been pretty unpleasant.  ​
Along the trail
Cow bridge
This way to the Tri-State marker...
It didn’t take long to reach the markers for each state, and of course the most exciting part of the hike was reaching the stone tri-state marker.  We took photos of Aoife and Tarynn balanced on top of the marker, so they can have evidence of being in three states at the same time.  The hike in both directions was enjoyable and not strenuous, and we only saw a few other people on the SNETT portion of the trail, and none on the trail to the marker.  Fun fact - I (Heidi) have hiked to the markers at each of the “corners” of Rhode Island: Cumberland, Napatree Point in Westerly, Little Compton, and this marker in Burrillville. ​
Almost to the marker!
Tri-state marker
Aoife's turn to sit on the marker
Blackberry bushes along the trail
After returning to our car, our next destination was the Zambarano Hospital on Wallum Lake.  In a discussion with friends a few days ago, we learned that this was the site of the state tuberculosis sanatorium that was founded in 1905.  Children and adults with TB would often spend years here as there was no cure and fresh air was seen as the best treatment.  Our friends spoke of a relative who spent over a year at this sanatorium in Burrillville, and eventually recovered from TB.   This stately building closed as a TB ward in 1982, but is still in use as a medical facility today.  Set on beautiful Wallum Lake, it is easy to imagine the history here. ​
Zambarano Hospital (former tuberculosis sanitorium)
Statue outside the hospital entrance
Wallum Lake
Burrillville marker
Not far from Wallum Lake is the haunted house that is referred to as the real conjuring house.  Not wanting to upset the girls and give them nightmares, we just did a quick driveby of the house.  ​It was easy to identify which house it was since there were numerous signs stating that the area is under 24 hour video surveillance. 
Picture
Our lunch plan was to go to The Taco Shop in the village of Harrisville, which was recommended by one of my colleagues who is a Burrillville resident.   On our way, we drove by the historic Bridgeton Schoolhouse, a 1897 two room school that now is the home of the Burrillville Historical & Preservation Society, and a beautiful little White Mill Park in the village of Bridgeton, and made a quick detour to check it out.  The park was the site of the White Mill and now there is a bridge over a waterfall, some hiking trails, a playground, and a covered picnic area. After exploring for a few minutes, we continued on our way in search of tacos. 
Bridgeton Schoolhouse
White Mill
Picture
White Mill Park
The Taco Shop was a great find!  So many of the choices on the menu looked delicious, especially the burritos listed in the window. However, we decided to keep it simple for our first visit here, so we went with 10 regular ground beef tacos and churro bites.  The Taco Shop is only taking call in orders, so we ordered with a phone call from the front steps.  While waiting for our food, we walked around the corner to the Burrillville Town Common to explore and find a quick geocache, and the area surrounding the common was very picturesque with a New England white church and houses.  This area would have been a good place to have a picnic, but the girls were hot and we opted for eating in the air conditioned car instead.  ​
Church in Harrisville
Beautiful house in Harrisville
At the Burrillville Town Common
the Burrillville Town Common
The Taco Shop, Harrisville
Tacos!!!!!!
On our way back home we passed through the village of Chepachet in Glocester, and we finished out our day by visiting the Brown & Hopkins Country Store, which was closed on our Wednesday visit to Glocester.  We’re so happy that we were able to come browse throughout this store as it was filled with interesting country themed items and it reminded us of a smaller version of the popular Zeb’s General Store in North Conway, New Hampshire.  Brown & Hopkins has a penny candy counter, but due to COVID-19, they are only selling packaged candy.  We purchased a bag of assorted candy for each of our girls and then proceeded home to enjoy the sweets. ​
The candy counter was closed, so we bought bags of candy instead
The girls' candy
Picture
Inside Brown & Hopkins Store
Other places in Burrillville that we've enjoyed: 
  • Spring Lake beach - Beautiful swimming lake with lifeguards.  There is a small admission fee, but it is worth it!  Spring Lake beach also has a snack bar and an amazing vintage penny arcade where the games still work!
  • Buck Hill Management Area - Hiking and biking trails. Be sure to wear orange during hunting season as hunting is allowed here. The last leg of the North South Trail goes through Buck Hill. 
  • Burrillville Bike Path - This short bike path is just over a mile long.  It's flat, since it is an old railway, and it is great for biking, walking, and jogging.  I once walked this trail with the girls on a rainy day, and we had a fun time splashing in puddles as we walked!
  • Branch River Park - Trails along a river in Burrillville.  I've geocached here and there are  some very interesting trees in this area.
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Rhode Island Town 21: Glocester: 7/22/2020

7/22/2020

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Hi Everyone, it's Aoife! Today we will be exploring Glocester. Our first place we had planned to stop at was Lightning Ridge Farm, but unfortunately when we got there there was a sign on the door saying that they were closed. We had checked their website and Facebook page before heading out, and according to the hours they listed, it should have been open.  Oh well.  Hope the owners and staff at Lightning Ridge are ok. It would probably be best to call ahead if you would like to visit this place.
We continued on our way to the next place on our trip to Glocester: The Town Pound. Now, if you don’t know what a Town Pound is, it is a tall stone enclosure  where stray animals would be kept. They are not used anymore and are part of New England’s history as many towns have them. My mother loves visiting places like this, but  I personally didn’t like the Town Pound because it looked like the animals would be crowded into it and would not be comfortable in that cage of rocks on the side of the road. Another reason that I didn’t like the Town Pound was that my mom was trying to get through the gate even though it was very clear that it wouldn’t open. It was very embarrassing because we were getting strange looks from the people driving by. She told my sister and I after we had gotten back in the car that there used to be a geocache in there and the gate used to be open for people to go in. However, the rocks seem to have settled and now the gate doesn’t open. 
Glocester Town Pound
Glocester Town Pound
After the Town Pound we went to this cute little one room schoolhouse. This schoolhouse was called the Evans Schoolhouse and was built in 1867. It has two doors - one for girls and one for boys, which I think is kind of funny and I don’t understand why girls and boys needed separate doors. We left a painted rock at this one room schoolhouse. 
After we went to the one room schoolhouse we tried to go to the Brown & Hopkins Store which is one of the oldest continuously operating general stores in the country, but sadly we hadn’t checked the website for this store and we learned that it is closed on Wednesdays.  We will go back to visit this store when we tour the neighboring town of Burrillville.

​We walked across a bridge to the other side of the street to read a plaque. The plaque is in memory of an elephant named Little Betty who was part of a show that traveled from the Carolinas to Maine in the 1800’s. Sadly, she was shot and killed by some men in the Glocester village of Chepachet on May 15, 1826.
Dowtown Chepachet
Brown & Hopkins Country Store
Closed on Wednesdays
Memorial for Betty the elephant
After walking around downtown Chepachet we went to Pulaski State Park.  At Pulaski State Park there was a lake that you could swim in, but that day we didn’t feel like going for a swim. We walked along the water to find a geocache near the end of the lake. ​  We have gone on hikes at Pulaski Park in the past, and there are some really nice trails there. 
Swimming area at Pulaski Park
Peck Pond, Pulaski Park
Frog!!!
On our way home from visiting Glocester we made two more stops. First, we drove down Tourtellot Hill Road to go to a farm stand that is called “The Farm”.  They had fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers for sale. We bought a zucchini and some cherry tomatoes, and Tarynn ate all of the tomatoes in the car before we even got home!  
The Farm: Glocester, RI
Lovely farm stand
Fresh vegetables!
Beautiful flowers
Farm dog
Sweet tomatoes
Next we rode by the Oreo Cookie Cows at Harmony Meadows Farm on Cooper Hill Road. The actual name of these cows is the Belted Galloway Cows, but because of their coloring they look like Oreos. ​​
Baby cow at Harmony Meadows farm
Belted Galloways, aka Oreo cookie cows
We went home for awhile and ate dinner at home, but then got in the car and drove back to Glocester to go to an Atwater-Donnelly Concert on the lawn of the Chepachet Union Church as part of the Glocester Summer Concert Series. Atwater-Donnelly is a folk music duo who specializes in American and Celtic folk music, and both Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly sing and play many instruments. The Atwater Donnellys have been our good friends for a long time and hearing them perform was a very nice ending to our trip to Glocester. ​
Chepachet Union Church
Atwater-Donnelly
Enjoying the music
Other places we've enjoyed in Glocester: 
  • Steer Hill Farm Conservation Area - A Glocester Land Trust property, Steer Hill has several beautiful hiking trails 
  • Sprague Farm -  This is my favorite hiking area in Glocester.  I love the old stone walls and foundations that you come across as you hike these beautiful trails.  Sprague Farm is also a Glocester Land Trust Property.
  • Heritage Park - Pretty and easy trails, and there is exercise equipment along the way. This is a great place to take kids for a hike, and I've brought Girl Scout troops here to introduce them to geocaching. 
  • George Washington Campground - We've tent camped here and hiked here.  Bowdish Reservoir is beautiful and is great for swimming, and the trails are lovely as well.  The North South Trail passes right through George Washington Campground. 
  • Cady's Tavern - Great food and friendly service, Cady's is a cozy place in the winter.  In the summer, they also have outside seating, but it can get crowded with motorcycles, especially on the weekends. Cady's also has live music on certain nights. Most interesting of all, this historic tavern is said to be haunted. 
  • Harmony Library - Super friendly librarians and a pretty garden make this a very pleasant place to visit. 
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Half way there!!!!!  7/21/2020

7/22/2020

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Rhode Island has 39 cities and towns.  We have now visited 20 of them, so we are officially over the half way point.  Whoohooo!!!!!!
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Looking forward to continuing our journeys!
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Rhode Island Towns 19 & 20: Richmond and Charlestown - 7/21/2020

7/21/2020

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Brian here.  Coming from Vermont, this whole “Rhode Island Villages thing” has always perplexed me.  The town of Richmond (according to Wikipedia) “contains the villages of Alton, Arcadia, Barberville, Carolina, Hillsdale, Kenyon, Shannock, Tug Hollow, Usquepaug, Wood River Junction, Woodville, and Wyoming”.  Every place in Rhode Island seems to have at least 2 or 3 different names, and I can never tell where it’s referring to.  Someone can live in the village of Wyoming, the town Richmond, and be in the Chariho school district.  Wow!  What this all doesn’t tell you is that Richmond, and the neighboring town of Charlestown, have some very nice hikes and historical areas.  
We started our day pausing at the Wyoming Dam, with a beautiful waterfall and a pond.  Tarynn loves to find the fish and frogs in any pond we visit, and she was not disappointed here.  There were tons of fish and frogs, and she even spotted a crayfish!!  We followed this with a short hike along to see the waterfall at the Barberville Dam. ​
Picture
Exploring the Wyoming Dam area
Wyoming Dam
Searching for creatures in the water
Barberville Dam
Beautiful waterfall at Barberville Dam
We then drove through the historic parts of Wyoming Village, the village of Carolina, and the Shannock Historic District looking at old houses, mills, and churches.  There’s the octagonal Albert Potter House built in 1867, the Free Baptist Church built in 1845, and others.  The Shannock Historic District is an old historic mill village with interesting old construction.  There is even a “horseshoe” waterfall with a fish ladder, although we didn’t see any fish on it. Tarynn found another crayfish here and we also found a well hidden geocache. 
Albert Potter House
Beautiful home in Carolina
House with stone lower level in Shannock
Shannock Horseshoe Falls
Fish ladder next to the falls
Remains of a mill across from the falls
At the Shannock Falls with our painted rock
Monument by the fish ladder
We left a painted rock on top of the monument.
Moving on to Charleston, we found a historic Native American Burial Ground tucked away in the woods. This is believed to be the cemetery for the leaders of the Narragansett and Niantic tribes.  It was somewhat overgrown, but prominent headstones were clearly seen.  The path up to the burial ground had lots of wild blueberry bushes which Tarynn grazed on all the way back to the car.  ​
Blueberry bushes on the path to the Native American Cemetery
Snacking on the trail
Stone in the cemetery
One of the most interesting places we visited on our trip to Charlestown was the “Fantastic Umbrella Factory”.  It’s a self-described “nineteenth-century farmyard shopper’s paradise and international bazaar” and this description encompasses the umbrella factory nicely .  It’s an old converted dairy farm that is now used to house local craftspeople.  There are gardens of flowers and of bamboo, as well as a number of animals.  Much to Tarynn’s delight -- the lover of all animals -- there were chickens and guinea hens wandering around, a couple of emu, and even a cute little toad in a birdhouse.  Tarynn was in her element exploring the grounds of the umbrella factory,and she was very excited when we gave her $2.00 to pick out something in one of the shops.  She spent a lot of time choosing the perfect purple and white sea urchin shell, which I’m sure she’ll treasure for years to come.
Fantastic Umbrella Factory
Umbrella Factory Gardens
Umbrella Factory Gardens
Birdhouse or toadhouse?
Who's there?
Guinea hen family
Tarynn the chicken whisperer
Bamboo grove
Emu!!!
We rounded out the day on the beach at the Charlestown Breachway.  This was a new beach to us, and it is beautiful. The waves were big and yet not overwhelming, and it was pretty uncrowded.  This is one of the most scenic beaches we’ve visited in this part of the state, and although we’ve heard that the parking lot fills up quickly in the morning, we had no trouble getting in at 3:00 in the afternoon. ​
Charlestown Breachway
Waves!!!
Not a cloud in the sky!
We finished up our visit with a quick stop at the Historic Bell Schoolhouse (where we left a rock) and a longer stop at the Charlestown Rathskeller for a casual socially-distanced outdoor dinner of appetizers & drinks to wind down the day. The Rathskeller had such an enjoyable environment - lots of families were happily eating and laughing, and if it was a regular year, we imagine that people would have been using the bocce courts, cornhole games, and would be playing horseshoes as well.  We had visited the Rathskeller in the winter and had enjoyed it, but this is definitely a great place to be on a summer evening and was the perfect place to end our visits to Charlestown and Richmond.
Refreshing drinks at the Rathskeller
Dinner of appetizers at the Charlestown Rathskeller
Bell Schoolhouse, Richmond
We left this rock on the schoolhouse steps
Other places we've enjoyed in Charlestown and Richmond: 
  • Burlingame State Park & Campground - We've tent camped here, hiked on the trails and swam in Watchaug Pond.  Burlingame is beautiful and it's location near several ocean beaches can't be beat. 
  • Ninigrit Park & National Wildlife Refuge- Ninigrit consists of nearly 900 acres set on a former Naval auxiliary air station. There are kettle ponds and salt marshes here that we have explored with Girl Scouts, and there are also athletic fields, courts, and playgrounds in the park.  
  • Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center - Located on the grounds of Ninigrit, Forsty Drew Observatory is equipped with an automated high power telescope.  We have been to Girl Scout star watching events here, and have always been impressed with the knowledge, patience, and kindness of the astronomers at Frosty Drew. 
  • East Beach - This is a beautiful state beach in Charlestown.  However, the waves here are usually too powerful for our girls, so we don't often go here.  
  • Blue Shutters Beach - This beach is also very beautiful, and is run by the town of Charlestown.  Blue Shutters beach is also the starting point of the North South Trail. 
  • Holy Cow Ice Cream - On our short list of outstanding ice cream shops in Rhode Island.  Holy Cow makes its own ice cream in small batches and often has unusual (and delicious) flavors such as Green Tea and Honey Lavender. Check the hours and give them a call before you go - they have been a little unpredictable this summer. 
  • General Stanton Inn Flea Market - It's fun to browse this flea market which takes place outdoors on the weekends in the summer. Sunday usually has more vendors than Saturday. You never know what you might find....
  • North South Trail - This trail starts at Blue Shutters Beach and continues north for the whole state of Rhode Island, finally ending at the Massachusetts border in Burrillville.  Brian and I hiked it 22 years ago, before we were married, and we hiked it again in 2019.  For our 2019 hike, we had to alternate the hikes between the two of us since life is more complicated now with our three kids. This trail is awesome, and the Charlestown portion of the trail goes through some lovely areas in Burlingame Park. 
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New rocks!!!  -  7/21/2020

7/21/2020

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Picture
I love these rocks that Aemilia just finished painting.  Looking forward to leaving them around the state as we continue our travels!
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Rhode Island Town 18: Barrington - 7/19/2020

7/19/2020

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Barrington was our target for today.  We started our visit at Four Town Farm, a place that gets its name from extending into four towns - Barrington, Seekonk, Reboboth, and Swansea.  Four Town Farm has an amazing farm store which features not only their own fresh vegetables and fruits, but also includes foods from other parts of RI.  Browsing throughout the store, we found cider and lemonade from Jaswell’s Farm in Smithfield, Milk from Wright’s Dairy Farm in North Smithfield, Nettie’s Kettle Corn from North Providence, Warwick Ice cream, Narragansett Creamery cheeses and many other local treats. We bought fresh raspberries, which were quickly devoured in the car, corn on the cob, and some cut sunflowers to bring to Gammie in Bristol later in the day.
Town line
Four Town Farms
Inside the farm stand
So much to see (and eat!)
Next was a visit to the Prince's Hill Cemetery where we visited the slave memorial.  The wording on the plaque reads “In memory of the Slaves and their Descendants who faithfully served Barrington Families” which we found a little peculiar and anachronistic.  The monument was erected in 1903, so that probably accounts for the strange wording on the plaque. The cemetery is located next to the town hall overlooking the Barrington River, and includes many beautiful memorials to those who have passed on. ​
Slave Memorial at Prince's Hill Cemetery
Ward family monument
It wouldn’t be a visit to Barrington without a stop at the Vienna Bakery for delectibles.  There, we each chose a sweet treat to go.  Tough decisions had to be made as everything looked so delicious.
Vienna Bakery - Barrington, RI
So many delicious treats!
Our next stop was the Barrington Library and Town Hall, where you can walk down to a pond with a Gazebo.  In the back, behind the library, is a small area on the Barrington River that was perfect for eating our Vienna Bakery treats!  It was also the perfect place to find fiddler crabs (tiny crabs with one big arm).  They were all over the place on the beach, in small holes that they had made.  They’d scurry around and when we came near, they would duck into their holes, but Heidi was swift enough to catch one. ​
Barrington Town Hall
Honor Roll Garden in front of the town hall
Pond and gazebo next to the library
Behind the library, by the Barrington River
We added our "joy" rock to the other rocks that were by the river
Barrington River
Fiddler Crab
Fiddler crab hiding in its hole
Moving on, we visited Police Cove Park, near the bike path and the bridges, and enjoyed the views and the weather.  There is also a new splashground at Police Cove Park and it was fun to see the little kids and families playing in the water.
Memorial at Police Cove Park
You can see part of the splash pad here
Nice view!
Interesting bench at Police Cove Park
We then drove on to Bristol to visit Papa & Gammie, but returned to Barrington later in the afternoon and stopped in to visit family members who live near Barrington Beach.  Aemilia and Aoife didn’t feel like swimming, so they opted to read books in the backyard, and the rest of us walked down to the beach to swim.  The water was perfect, and we were amazed to see kitesurfers gliding across the water, and even flying up into the air!
Barrington Beach
Perfect beach day!
Finishing up our day, we went to the Daily Scoop for ice cream to put a sweet end to our visit to Barrington.  Daily Scoop features their own homemade ice cream and is open for window service only during COVID-19. The ice cream is good, but it is expensive and the amount of ice cream does not equal the high price per cone.  Our 5 ice creams cost over $30!!!!!  However, it was National Ice Cream Day and it seemed fitting to celebrate with a local treat.  We enjoyed the ice cream as we drove, and our final stop was the colorful and inclusive doors at the well known Barrington landmark, the White Church.  ​
Daily Scoop
Doors at the White Church in Barrington
On another visit, we will explore the trails at the Osamequin Preserve and Bird Sanctuary, but we all agreed that we had done enough for one day and our day in Barrington was complete and fun.  ​
Other places we've enjoyed in Barrington: 
  • Brickyard Pond/Veterans Memeorial Park - Hiking trails and picnic areas surrounding a pond.  This is also a great place for kayaking.  Brickyard Pond got its name from the former brick factory that was nearby. 
  • The East Bay Bike Path - This bike path spans from Providence to Bristol and passes through Barrington.  It is a great place to bike or walk, without having to worry about motor vehicles. 
  • Haines Memorial State Park - This large park near East Providence includes hiking trails, picnic areas, sports fields and a boat ramp.  The East Bay Bikepath runs right through Haines Park. 
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Rhode Island Town 17: North Providence (and a little bit of Johnston) - 7/16/2020

7/16/2020

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Hey Everybody, this is Tarynn! Welcome back! We are going on another journey in RI. This time we are going to North Providence and a quick stop in Johnston. We left home at 5:30 at night and went to visit some fun places. ​
We had made a reservation for Camp Nowhere at 5:45 pm, which was the only time slot available before 10:45 pm at this popular North Providence restaurant,  so we had to leave the house at 5:30 to get there on time. When we arrived we got a table in the shade outside. It was very nice and we had distance from everyone there including the waitress. Camp Nowhere is different from other restaurants in that everything on the menu is $3.50. For example, you can get two sliders for $3.50, mozzarella sticks for $3.50, chicken tenders for $3.50, and cheese fries for $3.50. Drinks are $3.50 as well. I ordered orange juice and sliders. We also ordered loaded waffle fries and mozzarella sticks. Everything was really good and I would like to go back to this restaurant. When we left we walked down the street a little to get ice cream at the ice cream place down the road, Cool Licks. There I got maple walnut ice cream.  It was really good. ​
Camp Nowhere - North Providence, RI
Sliders, Mozzarella Sticks & Loaded Waffle Fries
Fried Oreos - Yum!!!!
Enjoying a drink
Cool Licks Ice cream for dessert
What a treat!
After ice cream we got back in the car and drove to Captain Stephen Olney Memorial Park. We went and visited the small historic graveyard at the park.  There and saw the stone of Stephen Olney, who was a soldier during the American Revolution. Then we walked along a path and  on the side of the path, we noticed a weird looking tree. It went straight up for a little while then it turned off to the side and then went straight up again. It looked like a good climbing tree, so with a little help I was able to sit on top of it.  We also found some geocaches as we explored the park.  We also saw the historic Joseph Smith House on Smithfield Road.  This house was built around 1705 and is the only stone ender left in North Providence. 
historic cemetery at Stephen Olney Park
Stephen Olney's gravestone
Walking through Stephen Olney Park
Tarynn in a tree, how can that be??? :)
Finding a geocache
Joseph Smith House
After visiting Stephen Olney Park, we went to see the Greystone Mill, which was a textile mill that was built over 100 years ago. We looked at the outside of the mill and then we crossed over the Woonasquatucket River to to see a park and cricket field in Johnston. We went and saw the cricket field and explored around. There was a very nice little free library in the park as well. When we were leaving I saw four little rabbits grazing in the grass. Unfortunately, they hopped away before I could get a picture. 😟 ​
Greystone Mill
View from the Cricket Field Park
There's a waterfall in the background
Little Free Library at the Cricket Field Park
Next we went to Governor John Notte Park. We got out of the car and walked to the beach over the bridge. This beach and the area around the beach looked really nice for swimming. Then we walked over to a gazebo that was covered with sparkling white lights and took some pictures there. We went and walked around the baseball field and headed home.  Our evening in North Providence was fun and delicious! ​
Picture
The beach at Governor Notte Park. Two Tarynns = Double Trouble!
Footbridge at Gov. Notte Park
Gazebo at Governor Notte Park
Beautiful view
There are three fountains in the water
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    Welcome!

    We are a family who loves to travel and explore.  Covid-19 has changed our plans for  summer 2020, but we are making the best out of the situation by exploring our beautiful home state of Rhode Island.  During the summer of 2020, we are hoping to visit every town in Rhode Island. Thank you for joining us on our journey! ​  

    NBC 10 WJAR featured us on the news!  Watch the segment here. 

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